Refillable fuse



0a. 8, 1929. R BUTLER 1,730,643

REFILLABLE FUSE Filed June 26, 1926 LYVEN" TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Oct. 8, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REESEY C. BUTLER, OF MOUNT VERNON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JEFFERSON ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS REFILLABLE FUSE Application filed June 26, 1926. Serial No. 118,681.

The present invention is directed to improvements in refillable electric fuses.

The primary object of the invent-ion is to provide a device of this character so constructed that the fuse link can be easly and quickly removed when required and a new one substituted, novel means being provided for securing the terminals of the link.

A further object of the invention is to provide a divice of this kind wherein clamping plates are employed for securing the link terminals in place, said plates being constructed and arranged in such manner that the terminals can be quickly released, provision being made to prevent loss or misplacement of the plates when the links are being removed or replaced.

lVith these and other objects in view, this invention resides in the novel features of construction, formation, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View through the device.

Figure 2- is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

V Figure 3 is an end view, the cap and clamping plate removed.

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view, th link removed.

Referring to the drawing 1 designates a cylinder formed from suitable insulating material. Metallic ferrules 2 are employed and are engaged upon the ends of the cylinder 1, there being annular shoulders 3 therein to properly position the same upon the ends of said cylinder.

These ferrules are provided with reduced exteriorly threaded extensions 4 and detachably engaged therewith are metallic caps 5, said caps having grooves 6 formed therein for engagement by a tool to facilitate the attachment and removal thereof.

The outer ends of the caps are provided with diametrically opposed open seats 6 and slots 7. By providing the slots 7 bars 8 are provided the purpose of which will appear later. Clamping plates 9 are provided and are formed with tongues 10, said tongues being adapted to be placed in the slots 7 and bent into loose engagement with the bars 8 thus constituting means to hingedly connect the plates to the ferrules. In this manner the plates can be easly manipulated to grip or release a fuse link, but are held against loss or inisplacement.

The plates 9 are further provided wit-h peripheral open seats 11 and since the plates are capable of being swung into intimate engagement with the ends of the extensions at these seats will coincide with the seats 6. he seats 6 and 11 open in reverse directions so that when in their operative positions the seats will constitute circular openings for gripping the terminals of the fuse link 12.

When applying a link 12 the plates 9 are swung open and the ends of the link placed in the seats 6 after which the plates are closed in order that the seats 11 thereof will co-act with the seats 6 to firmly grip the terminals of the link. The terminals of the link are then bent laterally and upon the outer surfaces of the plates 9, after which the caps 5 are screwed upon the extensions 4 and thus serving to firmly hold the bent terminals clamped between the caps and plates.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spiritof the invention.

lVhat is claimed is 1. A fuse of the class described, comprising a cylinder, ferrules upon the ends thereof, said ferrules having seats therein, clamping plates hingedly connected to the ferrules and having seats in their peripheries, the respective seats co-acting to grip a fuse link disposed in the cylinder.

2. A fuse of the class described, comprising a cylinder, ferrules upon. the end of the cylinder and having bars carried thereby extending transversely thereof, plates hingedly connected to said bars arranged to swing outwardly longitudinally of the cylinder, a fuse link engaged in the cylinder and capable of having its ends bent upon the plates, and caps detachably engaged with the ferrules and with the bent ends of the link.

3. A fuse of the class described, comprising a cylinder, a fuse link engaged in the cylinder, ferrules upon the ends of the cylinder and having seats therein, plates hingedly connected to the ferules and having seats therein to co-act with the seats of the ferrules to grip the link adjacent its ends, the ends thereof being adapted to be bent laterally upon the plates, and caps engaged on the ferrules, as and for; the purpose set forth.

at. A fuse of the class described comprising an insulating cylinder, metallic ferrules upon the ends of said cylinder, plates hingedly connected to the respective ferrules to swing outwardly upon axes extending transversely of the axis of said cylinder and ferrules, a fuse link extending through said cylinder and having its ends projecting beyond said plates and capable of being bent to overlie the outer faces of said plates, and end caps deta'chably positioned on said ferrules and engaging the bent ends of said link.

5. A fuse of the character described comprising, in combination, an insulating cylinder, a metallic ferrule upon one end of said cylinder, a plate'hingedly connected to the ferrule to swing outwardly therefrom on an axis extending transversely of the axis of the cylinder and the ferrule, complementary seats formed in said plate and said ferrule, a fuse element extending between the complementary seats at one end of said cylinder, the seat in said plate being adapted to press the fuse element into clamping engagement with the seat in said ferrule by pressure applied to said plate tending to pivot the plate inwardly of said cylinder, and a cap engageable with said ferrule to press said plate inwardly of the cylinder.

6. A refillable fuse comprising, in combination, a cylinder of insulating material having metallic ferrules on the ends thereof, said ferrules each having a seat formed therein, a pair of plates each having a seat formed therein, one of said plates being connected to each of said ferrules for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder, said plates being adapted in their pivotal movement to clamp a fuse element between the seats on said plates and the seats on said ferrules, a fuse element extending through said cylinder with its ends p0- sitionedbetween the complementary seats at the two ends thereof, and means movable axially of said cylinder to pivot said plates and effect such a clamping operation. v

7. A refillable fuse comprising, in combination, an insulating cylinder, a pair of permanently connected and relatively movable metallic members mounted on each end of said cylinder, the members on each end having complementary seats formed thereon and being movable relatively to each other to clamp a fusible element between said complementary seats, a fusible element extending longitudinally through said cylinder and between said seats at each end and having its ends bent transversely to overlie one of said members and means movable axially of the cylinder to clamp said fusible element between said seats and also to clamp the ends of the element to the adjacent members.

8. A refillable fuse comprising, in combination, an insulating cylinder having metallic ferrules on the ends thereof, a pair of metallic members, one permanently mounted on each end of said cylinder, said members and said ferrules each having complementary seats formed therein and said members being movable relatively to the ferrules, a fusible element extending through said cylinder and having its ends between said complementary seats and bent over said members at each end of the cylinder, and a pair of caps for closing the ends of the cylinder arranged to move said members to-clamp the fusible element between said seats and to clamp the bent ends between said members and said caps.

9. A refillable fuse comprising,in combination, an insulating cylinder, metallic ferrules on the ends of said cylinder, a plate movably positioned on the outer end of each of said ferrules, complementary seats formed on said ferrules and said plates, a fuse element extending through said cylinder and between the complementary seats at'each end of the cylinder and having its ends bent over said plates, and endcaps screwthreaded onto said ferrules and arranged when tightened to clamp the fusible element between the cap and said plate and to move said plate relatively to the ferrule to clamp the fuse element between said seats.

10. A fuse of the class described comprising an insulating casing, a metallic ferrule on one end of said casing, a plate hingedly connected to the ferrule on an axis extending transversely of the axis of said casing and ferrule, a fuse link extending through saidcasing and having one end bent to lie alongside one surface of said plate, and an end cap detachably secured to said ferrule and adapted when tightened to clamp said fuse end against the said plate.

11. A fuse of the class described comprising an insulating casing, metallic ferrules secured to the opposite ends of'said casing and having end apertures therein, a fuse link extending through said casing and end apertures, plates hingedly connected to the respective ferrules to swing upon axes extending transversely of the axis of said casing and ferrules and adapted to substantially close said apertures and to engage the ends of said fuse element, and a pair of end caps detachably' secured to said ferrules to clamp said plates in a position extending transversely of the casing.

12. A fuse of the class described comprising, in combination, an insulating casing, a pair of metallic members positioned across the ends of said casing and forming apertured end Walls therefor, a pair of closure plates for said apertures hinged to said members on axes extending transversely of the casing, a fusible element extending through the casing and apertures having its ends bent to lie alongside of said plates, and a pair of end caps adapted to clamp said fusible element to said plates.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

REESEY C. BUTLER. 

